McCain Foods USA, a leading supplier of frozen potato products and appetizers, today (Sept. 29) announced the restart of construction of a 170,000-sq.-ft., $300 million expansion at its Othello, Wash., potato processing facility. Paused due to COVID-19 restrictions limiting all non-essential work, construction will resume in early October.

“We are excited to resume construction on the expansion of the Othello plant, wher McCain Foods has operated for over 31 years,” said Paolo Picchi, Regional President of the Americas. “This expansion will increase production capacity [via] a French fry processing line, bring new jobs to the community and require approximately 11,000 additional acres, sourced from local potato growers in the region.”

The expansion will create an anticipated 180 new jobs. The Othello plant already employs more than 450 and produces 400 million lbs. of frozen products.

The Canadian parent firm McCain Foods claims to be the worlds largest manufacturer of frozen potato products. McCain Foods USA Inc. employs 4,000 people and operates production facilities in Idaho, Maine, Nebraska, Washington and Wisconsin.